The Value of Humble Beginnings
Growing up in a one stop-light town in Northwest Indiana had several advantages and disadvantages. Our family came from humble beginnings, dad being an auto mechanic and mom stayed at home to make sure my brother and I stayed out of trouble, kept our head in our books, and made our bed each morning-teaching the fundamental habits of what I now have learned to love and appreciate.
Earning It the Hard Way
We did not have the money to buy the team basketball shoes, so instead my father showed us the value of the dollar by buying boxes of candy bars and after practice, would take us to neighborhoods to try to make fifty cents one chocolate bar at a time….Again, showing me grit and that in life, nothing would come easy.
The Power of a Strong 'Why'
By connecting my why, my family, with my work, I have developed a never-quit attitude and some have called me the “Energizer bunny”…while in reality, my belief is that I need to lead by example and show my children that you can truly do anything you wish in life so that you have the right work ethic, attitude and want to learn. Keeping my why in front of the daily grind, and never accepting failure as defeat but simply asking myself ‘what is the lesson I need to learn or grown from?’
Built to Lead, Built to Last
I had three ‘jobs’ prior to becoming a business owner, all three of which I became number one in. I was never the fastest, strongest, or best shooter when I played basketball, but I earned a Varsity starting spot because I worked harder than anybody else that was competing against me, and my passion to succeed has never left. There have been so many challenges along the way, but in this game, only the strong survive. My ‘why’ is to help the 80% statistic of small business owners failing, do just the opposite-survive but also thrive!